The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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World-of-Mouth (WOM) and buzz has always been a quick and inexpensive way to help new products reach the mass consumer market, especially in the high-tech industry where products have a short life span; and are often subject to intense controversy over the social media space that speeds up WOM and buzz.

As discussed in The Seven Principles of WOM and Buzz Marketing: Crossing the Tipping Point, WOM and buzz do not happen by good luck. Consumers do not just run around chatting with other consumers about every product they purchase, but rather about certain products that stand out from the rest, because they share certain qualities that capture and captivate their minds, hyping their emotions.

WOM and buzz are sensitive to marketing campaigns that create the right product message; find the right context, the right “conditions” and “circumstances” to spread the message; and identify and enlist the right product massagers, consumers who are ready to influence other consumers.

No company other than Apple Computer (NASDAQ:AAPL) has grasped the art of WOM and buzz campaigns that have certainly contributed to its phenomenal success.

Here how it works:

1.Develop a Unique Product Offering. Every single Apple product offers a unique value to consumers, as it incorporates a number of distinct advantages over competitive products—easiness of use, more functionality, access to complementary products, etc. The iPod, for instance, has a bigger screen than Zune that is friendly to the users’ eyes; it’s wheel rather than button operated, and provides access to a larger library of songs. The iPhone has a larger screen than BlackBerry, a better (virtual) keyboard, a GPS map, and a unique configuration of Internet, phone, iPod, and calendar tools.